Cotton dispenser

ABSTRACT

A dentist&#39;&#39;s cotton roll dispenser comprising a tiltable transparent bin pivoted for swinging movement into and out of a transparent casing. The rear walls of the bin and the casing are arcuate and closely spaced to prevent cotton rolls from wedging between them. A flexible liner in the bottom of the bin can be raised by means of a drawstring so as to move the cotton rolls toward the forward part of the bin.

Oct. 2, 1973 United States Patent Neuwirth 2,636,800 4/l953 Downey..............................3l2/328 1,595,263 8/1926 A. 3l2/328 X Peyton Sidney Neuwirth, c/o Knolls P f l 'l 14 i 2 :23:: 1 Stanford Primary Examiner-lames C. Mitchell A!l0rney.l0hn W. Malley et al. [22] Filed: Feb. 25, 1972 [57] ABSTRACT A dentists cotton roll dispenser comprising a tiltable Appl. No.: 229,401

transparent bin pivoted for swinging movement into and out of a transparent casing. The rear walls of the bin and the casing are arcuate and closely spaced to 8000 4N4 H8 H 3 b 8 2 3 3 l 2 mm 3 3 mh c u-l na e S Ln m I mm UIF Ill 2 8 555 prevent cotton rolls from wedging between them. A flexible liner in the bottom of the bin can be raised by means ofa drawstring so as to move the cotton rolls toward the forward part of the bin.

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 544,817 8/l895 Lulgart 312/328 l.9l8,744 7/1933 Fazekas 312/327 X 6 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures COTTON DISPENSER This invention relates to bin-type holders having a tiltable or pivotable bin insertable within a casing. In particular, it relates to a holder or dispenserfor'cotton rolls used by a dentist.

A known type of holder or dispenser isconstructed of an open-top bin pivotally mounte'd'in an open-front casing. In the closed position of the holder the front wall of the bin closes the open front of the casing,and in the forwardly rotated open position a substantial portion of the open top of the bin :resides outside the casing.

The present invention provides a bin-type holder or dispenser specifically adapted to hold and display dentists cotton rolls in a clean and orderlymanner and to make the rolls readily available when needed. One important feature is that the rear of the pivotable b'in and the rear of the fixed casing are made with arcuate walls which are closely spaced to prevent acotton roll from becoming wedged between them. Both the bin and the casing are constructed of transparent material, and in a preferred embodiment a flexible liner in the bottom of the bin is adapted to be raised by a manual drawstring or the like to move the cotton rolls toward the front of the bin.

The invention will be further understood from the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cotton roll dispenser; and

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the dispenser of FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS:

The illustrated dispenser includes apivotable bin 1'0 insertable within a fixed open-front casing 1 2, the latter including a wooden base 14 provided with a metal weight 16 inserted into its bottom surface to stabilize the dispenser. The sides of the casing 12 are formed by two spaced-apart vertical side walls 18"having their horizontal lower edges secured within grooves l9'inthe upper surface of the base 14'. The upper edges of the side walls 18 are arcuate and are connected by an arcuate wall 20 extending about 90 upwardly and forwardly from one of said grooves l9 in'theupper surface of the base 14.

The open-top bin lis constructedof'a' flat'front wall 22, two flat side walls 24, a flat bottomwall2'6-an'd an arcuate rear wall 28. The loweredge 30'of front'wall 22 is pivotally supported in a groove 32in the upper surface of the base 14 to permit surging movenientof the bin 10 about a horizontalaxis. This-"axis'is'thecenter of curvature for the arcuate'casingwallZOand'the bin rear wall 28 so that the latter'movesparallel-to the wall 20 during opening and closing of the dispenser. The upper edges 34 of the bin side walls 2 4 are similarly curved about the same axis, and'there is only a small gap between the inner surfaceofthe wall=20-and' the edges 34 and between the wall 20 'and'the wall'28 at all angular positions of the bin 10. The 'bin'sidewall's 24 and the casing side walls l8are also closely spaced. These relationships prevent a cotton roll-36, which is easily compressible, from becoming jammedbetween' the bin and the casing 12.

bin. The edges 34 of the bin side walls slide lightly against the lower surface of the stop member 40, except that near the front wall 22 the edges are cut away as illustrated at 42. This forms a clearance between the stop member and the bin side walls 24 in the closed position so that the bin 10 can be lifted upwardly and forwardly out of the casing. When the bin 10 is open there'is'insufficient clearance to allow either accidental or intentional removal of the bin 10.

lnthe illus'trated embodiment a flexible liner 44 overlies the bin bottom wall 26 and extends up along the inner surface of the wall 28 and is secured to the latter at a point-near the edge 38. A drawstring 46 is attached to the forward end of the liner 44 and is trained up along the inner surface of the bin front wall 28 and through an aperture 48 therein. When the drawstring 46 is pulled manually, the liner 44 rises away from the bottom wall 26, as shown in FIG. 2, and urges the cotton rolls 36 toward the front wall 22 for easy access from above. The liner 44 may pass under two small rollers 50 or pins mounted on the bin side walls 24, but this is not necessary. In fact, it has been found that the paper wrapper which conventionally surrounds a new batch of cotton rolls 36 makes a satisfactory liner after the upper portion of the wrapper has been removed. In this modification neither the roller 50 nor attachment of the wrapper to the wall 28 is necessary; it is merely necessary to attach a drawstring 46 or the like to the forward edge of the wrapper and thread it through the aperture 48 or even over the top of the front wall 22.

In use of the dispenser a sufficient number of cotton rolls 36 is placed in the bin to substantially fill it. The distance between the bin side walls 24 is only slightly greater than the length of the rolls 36, so that the rolls are easily'stacked on top of each other in parallel arrangement as shown in FIG. 2. The bin 10 may be opened by manually tipping it forward .by placing the fingers on the upper edge of the front wall 22 which projects'slightly above the wall 20. The balance of the bin is such that it will remain in the full open position illustrated'i'n FIG. 2 but can be readily flipped back to the closed'position. During movement of the bin 10 towardthe open'position there is no tendency for the rela'tivemovement between walls to'cause a cotton roll 36 to become jammedbetween walls, due principally to the lack of anyappreciableclearance between the edge 30"an'd the inner surface of the wall 20, and between the-edges'34'and the inner surface of the wall 20.

If the drawstring 46 is present it may be used to tilt 'the'bin forward. Further pulling on the drawstring 46,

to limit the scope thereof, it being intended that the invention shall be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A dentists cotton roll dispenser comprising:

a transparent casing having an open front and constructed of two parallel spaced-apart transparent side walls and a transparent curved wall which is joined to the upper edges of the side walls and which forms the top and rear surfaces of the casing;

a transparent tiltable open-top bin insertable within the casing, said bin being constructed of two transparent parallel spaced-apart side walls, a transparent bottom wall, a transparent front wall perpendic ular to the bottom wall and a transparent curved rear wall which is complementary to the curved wall of the casing;

means pivotally maintaining said bin for swinging movement about a horizontal axis between a closed position in which the front wall is substantially vertical and closes the front of the casing and an open position in which the substantial portion of the open top of the bin is disposed outside the casing, the side walls of the bin being closely adjacent the side walls of the casing and the curved rear wall of the bin being closely adjacent the curved casing wall in all positions of the bin thereby to avoid jamming of the cotton rolls between the bin and the casing;

a flexible liner within the bin in engagement with the bottom and rear walls of the bin; and

drawstring means attached to the liner and extending exteriorly of the front wall of the bin for raising the liner away from the bottom wall and for simultaneously pivoting the bin toward a forward position.

2. A dispenser as in claim 1, wherein the curved rear wall of the bin has an upper edge bent outwardly toward the curved wall of the casing.

3. A dispenser as in claim 1, including a base member having grooves therein receiving the lower edges of the side walls and the curved wall of the casing, and wherein said pivotal mounting means includes a groove which loosely receives the lower edge of the front wall of the bin.

4. A dentist's cotton roll dispenser comprising:

an open-front casing constructed of a horizontal base;

two upstanding spaced-apart transparent side walls having lower edges secured to the base and having upper edges each defining an arc of about transparent arcuate wall connecting the upper edges of the walls;

tiltable open-top bin insertable within the casing, said bin being constructed of two transparent side walls spaced apart a distance equal to the length of a cotton roll, said side walls having arcuate edges corresponding to the upper edges of the casing side walls;

a flat bottom wall and a transparent rear wall extending along an arc of about 45 and connecting with the bottom wall and with the upper edges of the bin side walls, said bin rear wall being disposed closely adjacent the inner surface of the arcuate wall of the casing, said bin further having a flat front wall terminating at its lower end in an edge which is pivotable in a groove in the base whereby the bin is swingable between a closed position in which the bin front wall is substantially vertical and closes the front of the casing and an open position in which a substantial portion of the open top of the bin is disposed outside the casing, the forward edge of the bin rear wall engaging a stop member fixed to the inner surface of the arcuate wall of the casing when the bin is in an open position;

a flexible liner within the bin in engagement with the bottom and rear walls of the bin; and

drawstring means attached to the liner and extending exteriorly of the front wall of the bin for raising the liner away from the bottom wall and for simultaneously pivoting the bin toward a forward position.

5. The dispenser as defined in claim 1, further comprising:

pin means connected between the side walls of the bin for guiding the drawstring and the liner as the drawstring raises the liner away from the bottom wall; and

an aperture means in the front wall for permitting the drawstring to extend exteriorly from the front wall.

6. The dispenser as defined in claim 4, further comprising:

roller means connected between the side walls of the bin for guiding the drawstring and the liner as the drawstring raises the liner away from the bottom wall; and

an aperture means in the front wall for permitting the drawstring to extend exteriorly from the front wall. 

1. A dentist''s cotton roll dispenser comprising: a transparent casing having an open front and constructed of two parallel spaced-apart transparent side walls and a transparent curved wall which is jOined to the upper edges of the side walls and which forms the top and rear surfaces of the casing; a transparent tiltable open-top bin insertable within the casing, said bin being constructed of two transparent parallel spaced-apart side walls, a transparent bottom wall, a transparent front wall perpendicular to the bottom wall and a transparent curved rear wall which is complementary to the curved wall of the casing; means pivotally maintaining said bin for swinging movement about a horizontal axis between a closed position in which the front wall is substantially vertical and closes the front of the casing and an open position in which the substantial portion of the open top of the bin is disposed outside the casing, the side walls of the bin being closely adjacent the side walls of the casing and the curved rear wall of the bin being closely adjacent the curved casing wall in all positions of the bin thereby to avoid jamming of the cotton rolls between the bin and the casing; a flexible liner within the bin in engagement with the bottom and rear walls of the bin; and drawstring means attached to the liner and extending exteriorly of the front wall of the bin for raising the liner away from the bottom wall and for simultaneously pivoting the bin toward a forward position.
 2. A dispenser as in claim 1, wherein the curved rear wall of the bin has an upper edge bent outwardly toward the curved wall of the casing.
 3. A dispenser as in claim 1, including a base member having grooves therein receiving the lower edges of the side walls and the curved wall of the casing, and wherein said pivotal mounting means includes a groove which loosely receives the lower edge of the front wall of the bin.
 4. A dentist''s cotton roll dispenser comprising: an open-front casing constructed of a horizontal base; two upstanding spaced-apart transparent side walls having lower edges secured to the base and having upper edges each defining an arc of about 90*; a transparent arcuate wall connecting the upper edges of the walls; a tiltable open-top bin insertable within the casing, said bin being constructed of two transparent side walls spaced apart a distance equal to the length of a cotton roll, said side walls having arcuate edges corresponding to the upper edges of the casing side walls; a flat bottom wall and a transparent rear wall extending along an arc of about 45* and connecting with the bottom wall and with the upper edges of the bin side walls, said bin rear wall being disposed closely adjacent the inner surface of the arcuate wall of the casing, said bin further having a flat front wall terminating at its lower end in an edge which is pivotable in a groove in the base whereby the bin is swingable between a closed position in which the bin front wall is substantially vertical and closes the front of the casing and an open position in which a substantial portion of the open top of the bin is disposed outside the casing, the forward edge of the bin rear wall engaging a stop member fixed to the inner surface of the arcuate wall of the casing when the bin is in an open position; a flexible liner within the bin in engagement with the bottom and rear walls of the bin; and drawstring means attached to the liner and extending exteriorly of the front wall of the bin for raising the liner away from the bottom wall and for simultaneously pivoting the bin toward a forward position.
 5. The dispenser as defined in claim 1, further comprising: pin means connected between the side walls of the bin for guiding the drawstring and the liner as the drawstring raises the liner away from the bottom wall; and an aperture means in the front wall for permitting the drawstring to extend exteriorly from the front wall.
 6. The dispenser as defined in claim 4, further comprising: roller means connected between the side walls of the bin for guiding the drawstring and the liner as the drawstring raises the liner away from the bottom wAll; and an aperture means in the front wall for permitting the drawstring to extend exteriorly from the front wall. 